Runaway circus puma attacks young woman in Krasnoyarsk

A family parking their car next to the circus saw the attack and scared the animal by beeping their car horn and screaming. 

Diana, 15, told Channel 7 TV in Krasnoyarsk: ‘It was my mother and stepfather who noticed the puma. 

‘A girl was buying tickets for next performance, my family was about to queue behind her when they noticed a huge cat. 

‘That second the puma jumped on the girl’s back from behind and tore her winter coat. 

‘We all screamed and the cat retreated. 

‘My parents sat the girl in our car. The puma wasn’t too big, it was a young animal.’

A traveling circus of Dovgalyuk Dynasty arrived to Krasnoyarsk at the end of December 2017 with its Lord of Lightenings programme. Pictures: The Siberian Times

The young woman whose exact age and identity were not revealed was shocked, but not injured. 

The circus administration apologised for the incident and offered to resolve the issue without going to court. 

The woman agreed. 

A circus spokesman said a 'very big sum of money' had been paid as compensation to the victim even though the puma was a young female that was 'not dangerous'.

The animal was caught and returned to its cage within an hour of the attack.

The circus administration apologised for the incident and offered to resolve the issue without going to court. Pictures: The Siberian Times

A traveling circus of Dovgalyuk Dynasty arrived to Krasnoyarsk at the end of December 2017 with its Lord of Lightenings programme. 

The show’s advertising which ran in all major Krasnoyarsk news outlets promised ‘unforgettable meetings with a Canadian puma, Himalayan bear, Paraguayan anaconda, monkeys, royal poodles and peacock pigeons’. 

The circus page on their Russian social network VK.com had very positive reviews of their performance. 

Daria, 37, from Krasnoyarsk said: ‘I’ve been to many circuses, but this was somewhat unique! Strongly recommend visiting, their animals are amazing.’

The circus will give its last performance in Krasnoyarsk on 13 January before moving further east in Siberia to Irkutsk and Chita.